Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Kelly in expressing my good wishes to Mr. Jimmy Walsh, who has given great, unremitting service in this House. He is to be congratulated for it, as is The Irish Times. He is a very erudite man and a great companion and he will be a great loss around the House. I ask the Leader and the Whips to ensure his departure is marked in an appropriate manner.

I intended to raise a matter on the Adjournment but it was ruled out of order. Like Senator Michael D'Arcy, I am disappointed but I remind the Leader of the woefully inadequate situation in rural railway stations when people have to cross from one platform to another. I raised it some weeks ago and I was quite surprised at the response from people around the country and it resonated with several councillors who had the same issue. People who come off the train in Charleville and wish to exit from the other platform have no way other than to mount a steep metal stairway onto a bridge and come down an equally steep stairway on the other side. It is a challenge to anyone from middle age onwards and it is a major challenge to elderly people, especially when we remember that most are carrying luggage. In the more sophisticated stations, there is a lift apparatus but in many rural stations there is no lift. I wanted the Minister to come in and talk about it but apparently it is not under his jurisdiction. I can only raise it on the Order of Business and I ask the Leader to bring it to the attention of the Government. Perhaps some scheme can be rolled out so that elderly people do not have the fear of railway stations they have at the moment. I am not saying the scheme needs to be done overnight.